NameCensus.

UK surname

Kealy

From the Gaelic "Ó Céileachair" meaning "descendant of Céileachar", a personal name derived from "céile" meaning "companion".

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Kealy surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 340, ranked #13,456, up from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Acton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Melton, Leicester and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kealy is 354 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 269.6%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

340

2016, ranked #13,456

Peak year

2000

354 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kealy had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016, ranked #13,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kealy surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kealy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kealy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kealy over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 89 #18,446
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 317 #13,053
1998 modern 341 #12,761
1999 modern 352 #12,552
2000 modern 354 #12,460
2001 modern 346 #12,478
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 336 #12,848
2005 modern 310 #13,518
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 343 #12,773
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 327 #13,599
2010 modern 347 #13,325
2011 modern 340 #13,375
2012 modern 342 #13,184
2013 modern 344 #13,349
2014 modern 349 #13,293
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 340 #13,456

Geography

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Where Kealys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Acton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner, Warbleton and Battersea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Melton, Leicester, Coventry and Bedford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Acton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
4 Warbleton Sussex
5 Battersea London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Melton 001 Melton
2 Leicester 028 Leicester
3 Coventry 004 Coventry
4 Bedford 007 Bedford
5 Bedford 012 Bedford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kealy

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kealy surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kealy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kealy, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Kealy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kealy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Kealy is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kealy is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kealy falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kealy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kealy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kealy

The surname Kealy has its origins in Ireland, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Caollaidhe, which means "descendant of Caollaidhe," a personal name derived from the word "caol," meaning "slender" or "thin."

The name Kealy was predominantly found in County Galway and surrounding areas in the west of Ireland. It is thought to be a variant of the more common Irish surname Kelly, which shares a similar Gaelic origin. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kealy can be traced back to the 16th century in various Irish annals and records.

One notable bearer of the Kealy surname was John Kealy, an Irish priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his contributions to the study of Irish language and literature, and his work helped preserve many ancient manuscripts and texts.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, a Kealy family was recorded as owning land in County Galway. This suggests that the Kealy name had established itself as a distinct surname by that time.

Another significant figure was Patrick Kealy, born in County Galway in the late 18th century. He was a prominent Irish nationalist and played a role in the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798, seeking to end British rule in Ireland.

In the 19th century, Michael Kealy, born in 1821 in County Galway, emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman in New York City. He was involved in the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge.

A more recent notable bearer of the Kealy surname was James Kealy, an Irish poet and playwright born in County Galway in 1908. He gained recognition for his works that explored themes of rural life and Irish identity.

While the surname Kealy has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration. However, its origin and historical significance remain closely tied to the western regions of Ireland, where it has been recorded for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kealy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kealy surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 20 Kealys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 20 1.88x
Surrey 18 4.12x
Northumberland 15 11.23x
Middlesex 11 1.23x
Lincolnshire 7 4.88x
Derbyshire 6 4.27x
Cumberland 3 3.88x
Lanarkshire 3 1.03x
Durham 2 0.75x
Bedfordshire 1 2.15x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.76x
Glamorgan 1 0.64x
Hampshire 1 0.54x
Stirlingshire 1 3.02x
Sussex 1 0.66x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 9 Kealys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.26x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 9 27.26x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 8 454.55x
Longbenton 7 123.67x
St Michael Lincoln 6 1538.46x
Eckington 5 146.63x
Islington London 4 4.60x
Manchester 4 8.35x
Newton 4 48.72x
Penge 4 69.81x
Walton Le Dale 4 139.86x
Cambusnethan 3 46.51x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 17.73x
Workington 3 67.87x
Chelsea London 2 7.40x
Epsom 2 93.90x
Seale 2 714.29x
St Pancras London 2 2.77x
Westoe 2 13.21x
Aberavon 1 69.44x
Blackburn 1 3.53x
Brightside Bierlow 1 5.73x
Broughton In Salford 1 10.27x
Farnborough 1 51.81x
Hammersmith London 1 4.52x
Hampstead London 1 7.15x
Ilkestonderbypart 1 243.90x
Kensington London 1 2.00x
Moss Side 1 17.86x
Preston 1 3.51x
Rotherhithe 1 9.02x
Silsoe 1 476.19x
St Ninians 1 30.49x
St Peterat Arches 1 625.00x
Trumpington 1 344.83x
Warbleton 1 222.22x
Widnes 1 13.02x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kealy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 8
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Annie 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Sarah 2
Adelade 1
Amelia 1
Anastatia 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Ida 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Norah 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kealy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Kealy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kealy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Kealy surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kealy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016. That gives Kealy a modern rank of #13,456.

What does the Kealy surname mean?

From the Gaelic "Ó Céileachair" meaning "descendant of Céileachar", a personal name derived from "céile" meaning "companion".

What does the Kealy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kealy bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.